Commander says goodbye to Team Dyess

  • Published
  • By Col. Garrett Harencak
  • 7th Bomb Wing commander
Two years ago, in my first Commander’s Corner, I wrote what a great honor it was to be the wing commander for Team Dyess. Today, as I change command, and Tanya and I begin another chapter in our Air Force journey, I humbly thank you all for two fantastic years in command of the greatest base in the Department of Defense! We have been and will continue to be an outstanding organization dedicated to delivering decisive combat airpower anytime, anywhere. Together, we made it clear to the world that regardless of our day-to-day duties, all of our efforts have been focused to achieve one goal, one mission … to destroy America’s enemies. It has been, and it remains, that simple.

There are no, and there never will be, other No. 1 priorities. Together, Team Dyess has worked tirelessly to give all of our Airmen the resources and training needed to accomplish this mission. Also, we have worked to focus the leadership of this installation on improving the quality of life of all of military, civilian and dependents who live and work at Team Dyess. As I said on August 30, 2004, for me the honor is in just serving our great nation and Air Force, but the privilege is to serve with all of you, right here at Dyess Air Force Base. 

What a privilege it has been! To be part of the incredible partnership between dedicated military and civilian professionals serving their country with honor and the dedicated, patriotic citizens of the City of Abilene and the Big Country who support our Air Base has been especially rewarding. Together, our base and the community have made each other better and stronger. The synergy between the base and the community is legendary around the Department of Defense, and in the coming years the enduring partnership that has always been the hallmark of Dyess and the city of Abilene will continue to thrive. 

Rest assured that for the foreseeable future the weapon systems at Dyess, the B-1 and the C-130, will continue to play a vital role in the defense of the United States. Let us be clear about this. The B-1 is simply the finest strike aircraft in the world today. It is the weapon of choice of combatant commanders in every theater of operation. The 7th Bomb Wing’s B-1s, at age 21, now fully supported and consistently upgraded, are dependable, decisive and devastating to America’s enemies … and will be for many decades to come.

Also, the superb C-130 will continue to amaze us all with its versatility and its ability to perform any task America will ask of it. The outstanding 317th Airlift Group, already the busiest flying unit in our Air Force, will, in the coming years, add many more chapters of courageous and dedicated service to its already storied history. The base itself, already recognized as the most environmentally progressive installation in the Department of Defense for receiving all of its energy requirements via wind power, will remain superbly situated to accept new and diverse missions. In the near future, with the construction of an Army Reserve and National Guard center on base, Dyess will be one of a very few bases in the Department of Defense that will host members of all the Armed Forces. 

Team Dyess will undoubtedly face many future challenges, but our primary mission will always remain the same…to provide combat airpower to destroy America’s enemies. Our enduring challenge will be to remain focused on our mission while providing the best quality of life we can for our people and their families. Obviously, the mission will always come first and all of our people understand and eagerly accept that. But the equipment our people use, where they work, live and play needs to be kept up to as high a standard as possible because at Dyess we know it is not our aircraft or equipment that makes us so lethal.

We believe our greatest weapon system doesn’t come with a serial number or a tail number; it comes with a social security number. It is our outstanding people that will always, without fail, take care of the mission; and we must always take care of the Airman and their families the best we possibly can. One of the most significant ways to do that is to provide first-rate facilities and housing. The current wave of construction at Dyess has had a huge positive impact on our quality of life. The construction projects such as the new base housing, Base Exchange, shoppette, the front gate, the Chapel annex, and fitness center were all desperately needed upgrades. We have been very fortunate to have so much new construction at Dyess. 

But in the coming years we will need much more. The overwhelming majority of our buildings were constructed 50 years ago, and most are well past their projected useful service life. Besides improving our people’s quality of life, new facilities at Dyess will also have a positive impact on our mission. All of our facility upgrades will make us more efficient and their importance to both our quality of life and our mission will gain added significance in the years to come. 

Thanks to the dedicated and professional efforts of all of our team members, military, civilians, and our families, we have been an awesome force at searching out and destroying America’s enemies. America’s Air Force and our country have benefited greatly due to your sacrifices and the sacrifices of your families. You all have truly made a difference. It can never be said enough, thank you to each and every one of you for your honorable and courageous service to our nation. 

Clearly, Dyess will continue to be one of our nation’s greatest defense assets. I know that under the superb leadership of Col. Tim Ray, Team Dyess will become even more efficient, effective and lethal as it grows and garners new missions to defeat America’s enemies of the future as well as it defeats them today. My family will always consider our time here at Dyess as the highlight of our lives, and we will always treasure the time we served together. 

May God bless you all, America’s Air Force and our great nation.